2013 Monterey County Pinot Noir

Notes of toasted cedar and spice are well-integrated into this wine. It shows off bright cherry, mushroom and earthy aromas that return in the flavor. The structure and complexity of this wine is achieved through a balance of acidity, alcohol and phenolic components that create a food-friendly, fine Monterey Pinot Noir. Enjoy on its own or with lamb chops, rib roast, porcini soufflé or roasted game.

Everything about this wine was handmade in our minimal- ist approach. After an initial sorting, we fermented the grapes in small, open-top bins that were punched down two to three times daily to extract color, flavor and complexity. The wine was pressed off into French Oak barrels of which 15% were new. There it rest- ed for 14 months before being racked in place prior to blending and bottling. Unfined, unfiltered. The resulting wine is purely Pinot Noir in character.

Grapes harvested for this blend come primarily from three dis- tinct sites over the course of the 2013 harvest: two vineyards on opposite sides of the Salinas Valley in Monterey (Chula Viña and Tondre Grapefield), and also our own estate vineyard, Hilltop Ranch, in Carmel Valley. Chula Viña tends to express very broad dark fruit, nice tannin and mouthfeel. Tondre is a classic pinot: aromatic, delicate, complex yet full-bodied. while Hilltop Ranch Pinot Noir is bold, dark, expressive. A small portion of Palisades (Carmel Valley) and Antle Vineyard (Chalone) were also included in the blend.